glennw

Scott, As far as I can tell, there have been no changes to the terrain tools. Maybe it's just that you are getting better at them!

You are probably looking through a window with Opaque Glass unchecked and seeing a window label for a window in the background. If you have Opaque Window Glass checked, you shouldn't see the labels for windows in the background through windows in the foreground.

Joe, Johnny is talking about auto generated contours. Ha, Ha, the auto censor edited t...i...t in my post!

Johnny, You can't select or edit either the auto contour lines or the labels. The only *** bit of info I can give you that may help is that Chief places the contour labels clear of any buildings.

Barry, I think you will have to post the plan. Or...is the foundation wall marked as Hang Floor Platform Above on Wall?

Tthe problem is that you are trying to make a poyline out of splines and other entity types. You can't include a spline in a polyline - you need to convert it to a polyline first. Go around and select your splines and convert them to polylines with the Convert Spline to Polyline on the Edit menu. You can then go around and join all the line entities to form a polyline. You can do that by selecting a polyline, arc. line, etc and then clicking on it end or start handle.

That is not a closed polyline. You need to go around and join up all the separate entities into a closed polyline.

Probably too late now, but I can tell you how to do it easily all with just Chief. You can use either monitor to edit the model and it is reflected on the other monitor. The trick to opening the same floor plan on 2 monitors is to double click the floor plans (any 2 plans will do to start) in layout. Drag one floor plan to the second monitor. Use the up and down floor arrows to display the floor you want - the same floor on each monitor. It's also easy to open a 3D view on the second monitor and edit the floor plan or the 3D on the first monitor and have the model dynamically change. This is done by opening the appropriate views and then dragging the tabs across to the second monitor. All the views are dynamic. This technique will allow you to run your own programs on monitor 1 and they will not display on the second monitor. It's probably not perfect because you probably need to set up any windows or views you need on the second monitor before you start and then it is not easy to switch between views on the second monitor. I guess you could theoretically just drag a Chief window off the side of your main screen and have it drop onto the second monitor without seeing what is going on with the second monitor - I am not sure of how you want the 2 monitors located. But if it is only a floor plan you want to share, the above method will work perfectly.

Another way is by using the Layout Page Information dbx where you can specify any layout page to be a template page, and then assign other layout pages to use that template page. ie, you can have multiple template pages in a layout, not just page zero.

Scott, I know nothing about this program (Squiggle), but I heard about it years ago and it looks like it is still available. http://www.signaturecad.com/ Otherwise, maybe something like Photoshop.

Michael, Yes, but it's not quite as simple as that. You don't actually have to supress the casing to get the wall instead of the mullion. As long as the casing width less the Overlap Frame setting is less than half the distance between the windows, you will get the wall (ie, the casings don't bump each other). As soon as the casings less the Overlap Frame amounts are large enough to bump into each other, you get mullions and no wall between the windows. Note that it's not only the casing size, but the Overlap Frame distance comes into it as well. There should be no need to manually draw the casing once you can manipulate the above. It seems that this has been pretty well thought out by the guys at Chief.

Johnny, Once you have blocked them together you can change the Mullion Depth...Outside on the Options panel of the Mulled Unit Specification dbx. These ones are -6" for demonstration purposes. Although, watching your vid again, do you want mullions between the windows or do you want the wall there? If you want to see wall there, you need to turn the Exterior Casing off. Be aware that the part plan you posted can be a problem because you don't have a room behind the windows, so Chief can get confused between internal and external.

Joe, You forgot about the Material Lists!!

Sherry, Just to clarify. There are 2 settings that you can choose from to act as a reference level for the Auto Storey Pole Dimensions. 1. Grade Level 2. 1st Floor Subfloor The second one is self explanatory - it is Chiefs default zero height (well, I thought that I would explain it anyway!!). Using the first one, you need to specify a value which offsets the storey pole zero level - either above or below Chiefs default zero (1st floor subfloor). Although it is called Grade Level, it has nothing to do with any Terrain you create and it's settings have no direct relationship with the Terrain. You don't even need a terrain for this to work. You may already know all tis anyway.

Timmy, You have an object in your plan that is causing the problem. It is "Silhouette_Woman_Talking" on the "Fixtures, Interior" layer. For some reason it is very, very, very wide. What you are seeing in the layout is a correspondingly wide Layout Box to accommodate it. Delete it and all should be good. Is it something you imported from Sketchup? You can see it and select it in a 3D view. I am not sure why it is behaving like that, but it is definitely corrupted and deletion is the best action to take.

Sherry, The Grade Level has noting to do with the Terrain. The two are completely independent of each other. The Grade Level setting is relative to First Floor Subfloor level, which by default is zero.

Perry had the answer. Draw your arc. Before you do anything else, select the arc and on the Edit toolbar select Convert Curve To Polyline. A dbx will open where you can specify the number of sides.

Guys, I think I will stick with the library as it does everything that I want. And how easy is it to find by searching for "vacuum"? Would a warehouse plan be any easier? Would they be metric or imperial plans?

Steve, This might help. Draw it in plan and rotate it.

Tommy, I believe that Johnny wants different line styles for the extension lines and the dimension line itself (in one dimension string). I don't believe this is possible.

Michael, I am not sure what technique you are talking about in post #20 - it could be the same. Probably easier if I just post the plan and you can look at all the setting, although I am not sure of all the options you want or need. you can change the mullion depth by using the Mullion Depth...Inside setting. A setting of zero will bring the mullions out to the inside face of the wall. A setting of 3 will take them about half way. A setting of 5 will make them very small. Glenns mullions.plan

Graham, This effect is NOT being caused by the sun, shadows, etc. It is being caused by the Shading Contrast setting which is Chief's auto shading (not shadows) in vector views. I can do the same vector view as my vid with the shadows turned on - it makes no difference to what is happening. That is what I did in my vid. What you say is correct. BUT, the light used is Chief's auto Shading Contrast setting - not the sun or any other light source. I disagree. It has nothing to do with light sources. The only way you can 100% overcome this effect is to change all the materials Shading Contrast to zero. I have no problem displaying shadows in a vector view. I can display shadows, adjust them, but it makes no difference to the root cause of this effect.

Robert, Is this getting close to what you want to control. In this pic, the mullion depth is exaggerated, but I can easily make it them any depth you want. This is only using the window parameters.

Graham, What do you mean by "between the scenes"?

I am pretty certain that what I said in post #3 is correct and this has nothing to do with shadows. It has to do with the materials Shading Contrast setting. Adjusting the sunlight in a Technical view has nothing to do with the original problem. http://screencast.com/t/vAhNUs0Lh